Red chilli, black pepper, and clove, all have a very strong peculiar smell. These spices are added to food for their aroma and flavour.
Cumin comes from India. The seeds, yellow in color, have a strong pleasant odor and taste.
The infographic above shows that, surprisingly, cumin is the most popular spice in the world, and coriander (or cilantro) is the most commonly used herb. In Europe and Africa, garlic is the most common among all dishes considered, and—no surprises here—oregano is common in the Mediterranean regions.
Asafoetida, a smelly, acrid spice beloved by Indians, has been used to lace their food for centuries.
Black pepper is known as ''King of Spices''. Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupes of the pepper plant.
By far, the most valuable spice in the world today is saffron. The dried stigmas of the saffron crocus plant can be purchased as saffron threads. A kilo of saffron costs, depending on the quality, 3,000-14,000 Euros. The Saffron crocus is a member of the Iridaceae family.
Cinnamon is an ancient spice that predates the recorded history of culinary applications of all spices. As such, it has been dubbed the “world's oldest spice”, which may be a warranted title, knowing that because it was found to be included in Egyptian embalming recipes.
Cinnamon. At Christmas, its scent invests our homes thanks to food preparations and decorations: we are talking about the unmistakable cinnamon. This spice is obtained from the dried bark of Cinnamomum, of which there are many varieties, and we can find it in powder or in cylinders (the sticks).
But vanilla has now been crowned the world's favourite smell by a team of international experts. Scientists from the University of Oxford and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm presented 10 scents to 235 people from nine different cultures around the world.
Saffron (Crocus sativa) is a spice that is worth more than its weight in gold. Over the past three decades there has been renewed global interest in saffron cultivation for use in cosmetics, the food industry and for its health benefits, which is why this spice has been coined “Red Gold”.
India is the world's largest producer of spices.
Turmeric, the Golden Spice - Herbal Medicine - NCBI Bookshelf.
Beluga caviar
Iranian Beluga caviar is officially the world's most expensive – a kilo will set you back 20,000 pounds. If you're up for a splurge, a 30g tin from The Truffle Man costs a whopping $157.
Cardamom contains many medicinal properties and provides great taste and fragrance when added to refreshing drinks. Therefore, it is regarded as the "Queen of Spices".
Seven-spices is the most well-known and utilized spice blend in Lebanon. An aromatic combination of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, cumin, ground coriander, and white pepper.
There is no other spice as peculiar as the queen of all spices; cardamom.
Still, cumin has an intimate aura that is probably accounted for by its being excreted in sweat easily, like other pungent spices, such as fenugreek.
Fenugreek (Methi)
This Indian spice is what people say "smells like curry." Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.